Michigan Minute

On this day in 1943, Michigan bakeries were ordered to stop slicing bread to save steel for the war effort. Also today, Glenn Frey, co-founder of The Eagles and Royal Oak native, passed away in 2016. His music continues to inspire.

On this day in 1899, Ellen May Tower, a veteran of the Spanish American War, became the first woman in Michigan to receive a military funeral. In 1983, Detroit’s J. L. Hudson Department store closed its doors for the last time. And in 1931, James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, was born.

On this day in 1937, Blanche Martin, the first African American MSU Trustee, was born. In 1938, Caberfae Ski Resort opened in the Manistee National Forest. And in 2018, a meteor lit up the Michigan sky.

On this day in 1818, Macomb County was named after General Alexander Macomb. In 1919, Michigan had its first all-woman jury, which quickly delivered a guilty verdict. And in 1954, WKAR launched its public television station, the third in the country.

On this day in 1856, Joseph R. Williams became the first president of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. In 1913, Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion, was arrested in Battle Creek for violating the Mann Act and was posthumously pardoned in 2018.

On this day in 1854, Jim Paul registered the plot of land that would become Ontonagon, though he failed to secure the title. In 1862, Gov. Austin Blair approved a resolution to assist in the exchange of prisoners of war, focusing on Colonel Orlando B. Willcox, who was later promoted and awarded the Medal of Honor.

On this day in 1959, Berry Gordy started his first record label, Tamla Records, to release Marv Johnson’s single "Come to Me." Due to radio rules, Gordy founded multiple labels, eventually incorporating them under Motown Records. Today marks the beginning with Tamla Records.

On this day in 1805, President Thomas Jefferson signed the act establishing the Michigan Territory. In 1955, the Society of Automotive Engineers reported on car exhaust creating smog. And in 1988, Dr. Lenny Hutton delivered the world’s first quintuplets conceived by In-Vitro Fertilization at Beaumont Hospital.

On this day in 1974, Detroit Democrat Charles Youngblood was convicted of conspiracy to bribe a public official. In 1964, William Clay Ford took control of the Detroit Lions for $4.5 million. The Lions, originally from Portsmouth, Ohio, are now worth over $4 billion.

On this day in 1886, the Detroit Free Press reported on “Winters Getting Milder” due to steam heat. In 1973, Marquette Airport was fined for not complying with FAA anti-hijack regulations. And in 1996, a task force called for equitable funding for Michigan’s public universities.